The Christmas Chart that really matters: Top five tips to make the most of your festive food

As well as being a time of too much tinsel, telly and corny eighties tunes – Christmas is also when many of us waste more food than usual.

With that in mind, food waste prevention campaign Love Food Hate Waste have put together their top five tips to help you make the most of the festive fare in your kitchen.

In at number 5 is…

Stilton

This stinky Christmas staple can divide taste buds, meaning it is left wasting on the cheeseboard. The great news is there’s more to Stilton that meets the nose!
You can use leftover chunks to make delicious canapés for New Year’s Eve like White Stilton & Apricot Toasts. Or crumble onto recipes that call for a cheddar topping like our Creamy Vegetable Crumble, or homemade quiche. Stilton also freezes brilliantly. Simply cut into easy to handy portions, wrap in cling film or foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge for about 24 hours before use to stop the cheese becoming too crumbly.

Flying high at number 3 is…

Christmas Cake

After the relatives have gone and the decorations have come down, the Christmas cake is still going strong! Check use-by dates on shop bought ones, but homemade Christmas cakes can keep for a good couple of months. Simply keep it in an airtight container.
If you haven’t made yours yet, there’s still time! Check out this Last Minute Christmas Cake recipe here.

Just missing out on the top spot by a reindeers’ whisker at number 2…

Bread Sauce

No classic Christmas dinner would be complete without bread sauce. The great news is that it’s a perfect opportunity to use up any unused or leftover stale bread by turning it into breadcrumbs. There’s a great and simple recipe for bread sauce. As well as being a classic dish, we also classically make too much of it. Fear not, freeze it! That’s right; as long as it hasn't been frozen before, by all means freeze bread sauce in either a sealed bag or airtight container to re-heat later.

And in the sought-after number 1 spot it’s…

Turkey

The cornerstone of the Christmas dinner has a lot to give, but after your five-hundredth turkey sandwich you might be feeling like a change... From pasties to soups and stroganoff, something from our wide range of leftover recipes is guaranteed to spark your interest. And don’t forget you can freeze the cooked meat before you make any of these delicious recipes too. Simply wrap it up in portion-sized amounts and put a label on so you don’t forget what it contains.

For more handy food-saving tips for the festive period and beyond visit our recipe section here.

Related Recipes

If you have veggies coming to your party, they will love these; for a more substantial snack they can also be served in a warmed pitta pocket with chilli sauce and salad. Serve the mini falafel with a shop bought Tzatziki yoghurt dip or make your own